I've been looking around this site for a while and am unclear if it is legal to build a full auto MG42. I think that someone mentioned in a post that it would be legal if you are building it for yourself. I assume that there are some other issues as well like is it legal in your state, were the proper ATF forms filled out to classify the weapon as NFA and ultimately paying the $200 tax. Can anyone explain this for me. Thanks.

A manufacturer's license is required to build a machine gun, which can't be sold to anyone other than law enforcement anyway. A manufacturer can't sell it to anyone, because the machine gun has to have been made and registered before the 1986 ban on new machine guns. That's the reason that the transferable machine guns sell for so much money.

My AC556 sold for $400 new in 1986, and sells for $6,000 now. My Thompson sold for $800 new and sells for $15,000 now. Supply and demand. There is no more supply other than what is existing, and the demand keeps growing.

A cheap MG42 would be $40,000. A cheap MG34 would be $30,000. Things like a mini-gun are over $250,000.

You CAN build a semi-auto with no license and no hassle. Read the forums.

Last edited by jbaum on Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I know that you can't have them in Illinois. Believe me I know, it is vitually a communist state. However, I do have an address in Iowa and I thought that it was legal there, though I have not %100 confirmed it yet. If it were possible, I was planning to keep it at that location because I visit there regularly.

M1 Tanker,Michigan's (MI) MG laws were recently changed....end of December 2005 (?).Our Attorney General now allows ownership with other than the required Class III Dealer License or C&R License as was in the past.

We can now own as individuals as they do in other states where allowed and only the required BATF Registrations/Form 4 or Form 5 are considered our Federal "License" to own now.I have not read into our abilities into making SBR (Form 1).....but maybe (?)

As for just the question at hand:I would say no unless you have a manufacturers License for Class III....and then you would only be making "Post '86 Dealer-Samples" ..........unless we overturn the MG Ban of May 1986....then that answer would change.

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